I think it's quite clear that when Google entered the phone market, Apple decided to punch a patent onto everything they could imagine. It doesn't matter if it was a good and detailed idea that will hold, or another other idea that is just vague (and they expected to get overturned). Either way the patents were always intended to be at the least a series of speed bumps to slow down the progress of their competition. Some of it will stick, and some of it will not.
Even if Android comes up with a unique method of achieving the same task for which Apple holds a patent, they will still get bogged down in a legal battle because Steve Jobs has pissed in all cardinal directions first. You can bet that this was part of Apples business strategy all along.
In no way am I suggesting that Apple should not be able to protect their IP, but I don't think anyone can disagree that they are also abusing the system with the sole objective to impede fair competition.
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